Anglo-Saxons in Britain

Anglo Saxon Religion

The Anglo-Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain, but, as time passed, they gradually converted to Christianity. Many of the customs we have in England today come from pagan festivals.

Pagans worshiped lots of different gods. Each pagan god controlled a particular part of everyday life: the family, growing crops, love, healing, wisdom, metalworking, the weather, war, day & night and so on.

GOD

GOD OF WHAT?

Balder

God of Immortality

Eostre

Goddess of Birth

Frigg

Goddess of Love

Hel

Goddess of Death

Loki

God of Cunning

Saxnot

God of the Family

Thunor

God of Thunder

Tiw

God of War

Wade

God of the Sea

Wayland

God of Metalworking

Woden

Chief God

Religion was a means of ensuring success in material things. For example, you might pray to a particular goddess for a successful harvest, or for victory in battle.

Days of the WeekCertain days of the week are named after early Saxon Gods.

Monandæg ( Moon's day - the day of the moon ),
Tiwesdæg ( Tiw's-day - the day of the Scandinavian sky god Tiw,Tiu or Tig),
Wodnesdæg ( Woden's day - the day of the god Woden (Othin) ),
Ðunresdæg ( Thor's Day - the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor ),
Frigedæg ( Freyja's day - the day of the goddess Freyja or Frigg, wife to Woden),
Sæternesdæg ( Saturn's day - the day of the Roman god Saturn, whose festival "Saturnalia," with its exchange of gifts, has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas.),
Sunnandæg ( Sun's day - the day of the sun ).

From Pagan to ChristianityAbout 1400 years ago, the Pope in Rome sent a missionary to England to persuade the Anglo-Saxons to become Christians.

The leader of the Christian Church was the Pope, who lived in Rome. The Pope sent a monk called Augustine to England. Augustine landed in the south and converted the first King Ethelbert of Kent, and then the people living there. The Pope made Augustine a Bishop and Ethelbert allowed him to build a church in Canterbury.

Christianity then spread to other parts of Britain. The pope gave orders that pagan temples should be converted into Christian ones and that pagan celebrations should also be made into Christian ones.

Churches, usually built of wood, were built in Saxon villages all over Britain.